# British TV Shows That Have Been Popular In The U.S **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 11, 2023, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018 "2023-01-11T08:35:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2023, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/181 "2023-01-15T17:46:49Z")
> [@John\_W.Kennedy](#): > > Yes, the Corryvreckan Whirlpool is quite real, and the strategems and devices used to get it on camera were non-trivial. Wow. It was truly amazing. It’s worth watching the movie just for those scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2023, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/182 "2023-01-15T20:13:32Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > The problem may have been that I had heard the jokes already from the radio version That’s the thing. My first exposure was the radio series and nothing that came after, including the books, could live up to that. The visuals in my head were just too much for any other medium to compete with. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/183 "2023-01-16T03:58:18Z")
Is it “plaid” in the sense of the garment or the popular pattern? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/184 "2023-01-16T04:09:35Z")
We all appreciate the British sense of humor [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JD3VKYoN5zI/maxresdefault.jpg "every "witty" british sitcom") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD3VKYoN5zI) ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/185 "2023-01-16T09:38:29Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Is it “plaid” in the sense of the garment or the popular pattern? [Breacan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartan) can mean [both](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belted_plaid) ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/186 "2023-01-16T12:05:33Z")
“Grot sells things which are no use. Some are red, some are green and some are puce.” Genius. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/187 "2023-01-16T17:47:42Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/v2mLAajm7ZY/hqdefault.jpg "Hippo") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2mLAajm7ZY) ---
**Author:** ![Jakey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@Jakey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jakey)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/188 "2023-01-16T20:25:30Z")
I remember they used to run the excellent Agony with Maureen Lipman on Saturday nights. IIRC Chanel 31 in NY used to be a public station until Giuliani sold it to private interests. They had a great lineup of Britcoms/comedy shows including The Two Ronnies Open All Hours Fairly Secret Army Butterflies - with the exquisite Wendy Craig and a very very young Nicholas Lyndhurst There were many others which will probably need to be added as they come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/189 "2023-01-16T20:40:24Z")
Does anybody else remember Sister Wendy and her Art History programs in the 1990s. I got sucked into that program every time I came across it. It was always rather amusing that masterpieces this Catholic nun studied seemed to feature quite a bit of nudity. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/190 "2023-01-16T21:19:36Z")
A few quick comments from a fan of British comedy. I agree that the two clips from _Only Fools and Horses_ when seen out of context don’t come across as particularly funny, and they also fail to convey the strength of the series, which is overall good writing. It has some serious and poignant moments, too. I should have enjoyed _Jeeves and Wooster_ because I’m a tremendous fan of PG Wodehouse, but maybe that was the problem – I love reading Wodehouse, not watching someone’s interpretation of it. Also, IIRC the script often strays from the original and mangles bits and pieces from different stories. For comedy in that genre, I prefer _You Rang, M’Lord?_. I read somewhere that it wasn’t particularly a huge success because many folks found the idea of a perennially dishonest, scheming butler to be off-putting, but I thought it was very funny, helped along by Su Pollard playing a ditzy maid in her unique comedic style. Pollard and two other leading cast members had previously starred in an earlier David Croft and Jimmy Perry production, the long-running _Hi-De-Hi_, about a holiday camp run by a totally unqualified and painfully shy former professor of archeology. Barry Howard, who played that part, left after the 7th season and seasons 8 and 9 weren’t as good, IMHO. I used to like _Father Ted_ but it hasn’t aged all that well. The absurdist humour gets a bit much after a while. I think _The Vicar of Dibley_ is a smarter and funnier option in that genre. _Keeping Up Appearances_ is excellent, but for those watching for the first time, the first season starts off slow, but the writers soon get into the swing of things. It ran for five seasons, and they would have produced more but Patricia Routledge decided to move on to other projects. The producers rightly concluded that she was irreplaceable as the oblivious super status-conscious Hyacinth. There are no words that would do justice to _Fawlty Towers_. It’s just flat-out the best comedy series ever produced, a work of genius from John Cleese and his then-wife Connie Booth. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/191 "2023-01-16T21:24:35Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > it hasn’t aged all that well. Down with this sort of thing! ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/192 "2023-01-16T23:10:16Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I used to like _Father Ted_ but it hasn’t aged all that well. The video for “My Lovely Horse” never fails to make me laugh even after watching it dozens of times. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/193 "2023-01-16T23:42:32Z")
Do you remember The New Avengers? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/xrsRJh9DhNM/hqdefault.jpg "The New Avengers Opening Titles (HQ)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrsRJh9DhNM) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/194 "2023-01-17T00:43:23Z")
Oh, yes. I was living in England when it debuted. The TV lounge at the Cambridge Student Union Building was packed, with standing room only. The only other time I saw people overflowing into the hall was when Monty Python was on. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/195 "2023-01-17T01:01:27Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > It was always rather amusing that masterpieces this Catholic nun studied seemed to feature quite a bit of nudity. And she would wax lyrical about the carnal passion on display. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/196 "2023-01-17T01:07:13Z")
When I taught English as a foreign language, the books we were using had a unit featuring Sister Wendy. I was never sure if she was fictional or a real person. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/197 "2023-01-17T03:29:47Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I love reading Wodehouse, not watching someone’s interpretation of it. I would say I mostly liked it except but had some significant complaints. I’ll have to say that Hugh Laurie was absolutely born to play Bertie Wooster. The matchup was not as perfect between Stephen Fry and Jeeves. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/198 "2023-01-17T03:51:41Z")
I forgot to mention _'Allo, 'Allo!_ which was lots of fun and quite an extended ride – it not only went on for 9 seasons, but one of those, Season 5, had an incredible 26 episodes. This was in contrast to a typical British “season” having around 6 to 10 episodes. Season 5 was produced in anticipation of the series being sold to a US network, which wanted something more like a full season on US television. How they managed to write and perform 26 episodes in a market that rarely had more than 6 to 10 annually I’ll never know, but they did it, and managed to maintain the quality, too. Whatever US network it was eventually backed out of the deal, but to the delight of all us fans, the episodes remain. It has a lot of very funny moments, but one has to be able to not take offense at the (mostly) good-natured but incompetent Nazis in occupied France. The accents are hilarious, especially the English spy disguised as a French policeman who “thinks he can speak French”. Kenneth Connor is fantastic as Monsieur Alphonse, the undertaker who lusts after Edith Artois, and Richard Gibson as Gestapo officer Herr Otto Flick. Flick is constantly consulting the official Gestapo handbook, which has solutions to all of life’s problems, including how to pick up women. Sadly, the instructions never work, and when several young women reject Flick’s advances as recommended in the handbook, Flick demands that the writers should be shot. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/199 "2023-01-17T03:59:28Z")
Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry are both great. My problem with _Jeeves and Wooster_ was just my preference for Wodehouse’s lyrical writing and letting my own imagination create the characters. The bond that I have with Wodehouse and his creations is entirely literary, and there’s no film production that I would have found satisfying. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/200 "2023-01-17T08:14:12Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > a totally unqualified and painfully shy former professor of archeology. Barry Howard, who played that part, left after the 7th season Nitpick: it was Simon Cadell, who sadly died too young, and after (I think) a rather shorter run. Barry Howard played the camp (in both senses) ballroom dancer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018.md?page=11)